Billy Santo

I am 25 Years old and live in Quezon City in the Philippines. I was diagnosed with HIV in May 2015. I have never written about it before but want people living with HIV to share my experiences, learn how I have faced my challenges and follow a path to a long and healthy life.

From The Philippines, out poz guy Billy Santo speaks out on the importance of early testing and treatment.

How do you know if someone has HIV? You don't. A lot of people who have HIV don't know that they have it. They don't have the slightest idea that they are already carrying it and still continue to engage in risky behaviors.
That is why it is important to seek early testing and treatment to diminish harmful effects the virus can cause. If it stays in the body for a long time without medication, the virus can replicate into thousands of copies and can entirely destroy the immune system. Once t

From the Philippines, Billy Santo on the virtues of keeping life simple.

I can get by even if I have no money. It matters, but it’s not everything. I am used to problems because I’ve had enough of them already and I’ve been at my lowest. I can endure a single day without food because I know how it feels to have no food to eat for almost a week. I can sleep in any house without complaint because I’ve experienced sleeping in the streets. I can go out without having to worry about what brand my clothes are because I only had one uniform in college that I bare

Billy Santo, of the Philippines interviews himself for PositiveLite.com.

Preferred name for credits?
Billy Santo
Organizational Affiliation(s)?
Bi Positive
What would you do today if nothing scared you?
I would educate people regarding the HIV/AIDS Epidemic and would never have to be afraid of disclosing my status. I'd like to make them aware that people like me exist and should be treated normally, without the prejudice and discrimination that comes from every family, the community, the church, the workplace.
What is something that you expected to happen but

From the Philippines, Billy Santo says, "I am simply satisfied with what I have at the moment and where I am right now."

Many things have been lost since I was diagnosed and disclosed myself with HIV but seeing where I am right now, I can truly say that I have lost some things, but these are those that I actually never needed - like fake friends, unsatisfying lifestyle, discontented relationships, unwanted affairs and that extreme feeling of loneliness and the guilt of engaging into so many bad habits that led me to be more and more lost.
Now, I have gained some things that I never could have imagined.. Loving

Billy Santo says it’s what’s inside that counts. If we seek peace in ourselves that is the way to be truly happy. Acceptance of yourself and inner peace will make you reach your full potential.

Good morning
Every day I see changes in myself.
PHYSICALLY, I am becoming far from the image I once was. My skin has sagged and wrinkles in my face come forth. My hair falls from the thickness it has once been. My skin is not as flawless, with scars and burns - and my physique? Not as pumped as how I always wanted it to be.
I am losing my color. I don't look good and I look restless, tired and used. NOT ENTICING anymore; my youth is fading slowly.
However, what has evolved farther than

New blogger Billy Santo from the Philippines, living with HIV since May 2015, tells his story of hard times, redemption and making a difference

I have had a difficult life.
My mom committed suicide when I was three years old and my dad had a heart attack when I was nine. I am a product of child abuse, being passed from one relative to another. I was lost on track when I reached college where I decided to run away from my uncle who had treated me like an animal and went on searching for a place where I could survive.
I begged from strangers, asked them to keep me in their homes in exchange for labor. I met up with many gay men for mo